If the report is adopted by the House, the Auditor-General will be required to undertake a forensic audit of all the funds that have been appropriated by the National Assembly to YEDF from inception to date/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 4 – A parliamentary probe into the alleged fraud and financial mismanagement at the Youth Enterprise Development Fund has recommended the investigation and prosecution of the former Board Chairman Bruce Odhiambo, suspended CEO Catherine Namuye and Quorandum Ltd Director Mukuria Ngamau for conspiracy to defraud the Fund and the public.
The special report submitted by the Public Investments Committee (PIC) concluded that YEDF lost a total of Sh180.3million through a well-orchestrated and dubious non-existent consultancy service scheme that was crafted and jointly executed by the trio.
The committee further says YEDF lost approximately Sh44.7 million in a botched YEDF 8th anniversary event. The event which was to be held at the KICC was later changed to the University of Nairobi grounds but did not materialise as it was verbally cancelled by a phone call purportedly by former Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to Odhiambo.
PIC which has been hearing evidence into the allegation further wants the Director of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Hillary Kiprono Yegon and any other Directors of K-Susu Ltd, Gigtych Ltd and any other supplier for any sum of money received for the YEDF 8th anniversary event and any other event undertaken for YEDF since inception to date.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has also been urged to charge Yegon for failure to honour the committee’s summons to appear on April 21, 2016 in breach of Section 14(1) and (2) of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act.
If the report is adopted by the House, the Auditor-General will be required to undertake a forensic audit of all the funds that have been appropriated by the National Assembly to YEDF from inception to date.
The watchdog committee further wants the Director-General of the Public Procurement and Regulatory Authority to debar Quorandum Ltd and any company directly or indirectly associated with Ngamau from participating in any government’s public procurement proceedings, both at the National and County Government levels in accordance with Section 41 the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015.
The two agencies should to report back to the National Assembly not later than two months after the adoption of this report on the status of implementation of the recommendation.
The report which to be debated sometime after the House resumes from its long recess which kicks off after Thursday’s sitting, highlights various charges that they would like the investigatory agencies to take up.
In the case of Odhiambo, the committee felt that he should be investigated and prosecuted on at least three counts.
“Bruce Odhiambo, if found culpable by the relevant agencies and convicted by a court of law for the various civil and criminal offences should be barred from holding any public office pursuant to the provisions of Article 75(3) read together with Article 80(c) of the Constitution that stipulates that a person who is dismissed for compromising any public or official interest in favour of a personal interest shall be disqualified from holding any other public office,” the committee said in its recommendations.
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